When i taught preschool I often started out the year with activities revolving around one of my favorite books: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. It's an adorable alphabet book, with a catchy song to go with it (and have you seen the dvd?!? My kids love it!). Years ago, when Ella was not yet three years old I made a coconut tree for her on our fridge (at our old house), to play with her magnet letters. And she still remembers that! She has been asking me lately to make another one, so today we did.
This is a great way to not only decorate your fridge, but to give the kids a new way to explore the alphabet. Sam is not at all interested in singing the abc's with me (his version goes something like this: PQRS, PQRS, PQRS, PQRS), but he will sit and play with the magnet letters, so I am hoping that this will help him learn a few more letters & letter sounds. The coconut tree was pretty easy to make, I just looked at the book for guidance, used paper to cut out the tree, and then used contact paper to adhere it to the fridge (so the edges of the paper won't get torn). This can also be done by making a smaller tree and adhering it to a cookie sheet! It's a perfect learning activity for home or for a Preschool classroom.
What are your favorite ways to help your children become more familiar with the alphabet?
7 comments:
Ewan and I are working on not only recognizing them (he's doing so well in that area!) but learning to write them and I found this wonderful lined paper that has the impression of the letter imprinted on the paper itself to help guide his pencil while he writes. He feels so big, and it's really helping! He can write his name very legibly now, and he is so proud of himself! I love the tree on the fridge idea..I may have to steal it! ;)
Rosemamie...where did you find this paper?!?
Yeah, I'd like to get some of that paper!
We've played the Letter Factory game about a million times and that did the trick for both my kids. Of course, they absolutely love chicka chicka boom boom too! And going to library storytime from birth gave them a leg up too.
Furthermore, I think one thing that is important is correcting their speech when they say something incorrectly or pronounce a letter wrong. I always correct them gently and get them to say it right before moving on. I feel like their speech is pretty good for their ages and has been all along. Of course, some things they say are just too cute to correct like "panpakes" and "muse" instead of "use" but eventually those things will work themselves out. I think correct speech is important for learning letter sounds.
Anna...I totally agree with you on correct speech! All of my kids have had some issues speaking clearly, so we have to be vigilant, which is hard when sam says "scoop over" instead of "scoot over". I think I may have to google this letter factory game...I've not heard of it!
Believe it or not I found it at Walmart, it's made by Mead...part of their writing fundamentals, prek-1st grade. It's called Learn to Letter. It's primary paper with the guidelines embedded in it..makes it super easy to see and feel where the letter is supposed to go. I found it in the office/school supply section just a couple of months ago, right before school let out. We've been practicing off and on and it's really helping!
I have seen this paper too at Target in the notebook aisle. Clara doesn't want much to do with it though. Clara is using the Handwriting Without Tears program at OT. There's a website www.hwtears.com where you can order materials. It uses a lot of songs and manipulatives to help with pre-writing and letter formation. Clara still isn't writing legibly, but she is definately moving in the right direction!
When J was little we always would say and spell road signs and signs on stores and pretty much everything outside the house. I think it taught him that reading and spelling were part of the environment like trees and flowers. Seems to have worked!
Post a Comment